Roll supporting construction



April 10, 1962 J c. LAYTON ROLL SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 10, 1958 a l: LAYTOI INVENTOR.

A rrmmsj- This invention relates to a roll supporting construction and, more particularly, to a supporting construction adapted to be utilized in supporting a roll of web or sheet material such as paper towels, or the like, in operative relationship with the housing of a dispenser with which the roll is associated.

Roll toweling and, more particularly, roll paper toweling must be easily and quickly installed in the cabinet of the dispenser with which it is associated and must be readily rotatable within the cabinet to accomplish the dispensing of toweling from the roll. In order to facilitate the dispensing of the paper toweling from the cabinet, it is desirable that the supporting construction for the roll of paper toweling facilitate the expeditious and eifective dispensing of the paper toweling therefrom.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a supporting construction for a roll of paper toweling within the housing of an associated dispenser whereby the paper toweling may be readily and expeditiously dispensed from the roll.

Paper toweling dispensers are usually serviced at regular intervals by janitorial service men or the like and it frequently happens that the roll of paper toweling installed in a dispenser will be practically consumed to the extent where replacement thereof to permit continued supply of toweling until the next visit of the service man is indicated. Thus, the remainder of the toweling on the roll is frequently discarded or, occasionally, the partially exhausted roll is permitted to remain in the dispenser and the supply becomes exhausted before the next visit of the service man.

It is another object of my invention to provide a supporting construction for a roll of paper toweling wherein the supporting construction itself provides an automatic indication to the service man of the imminent exhaustion of the roll of paper toweling in the dispensing cabinet. When this occurs, the roll of paper toweling can be removed from operative relationship with the component portions of the supporting construction and can be placed in an auxiliary receptacle in the cabinet of the dispenser. A full roll is then installed upon, and in operative relationship with, the supporting construction and the two webs of the full roll and the nearly exhaused roll are threaded through the dispensing mechanism. Thus, a user of the towel dispenser will receive a double supply of toweling until the partially exhausted roll is completely depleted. Therefore, the waste of toweling or the premature exhaustion of toweling is eliminated.

Roll paper toweling is shipped in large cartons incorporating a relatively large number of rolls which are disposed in superimposed relationship with each other in a carton. Rolls of paper toweling of the character disclosed in the present application incorporate one end thereof bearing support members identical with those disclosed in my previously issued Patent No. 2,711,860 and with conventional roll supporting constructions it is necessary that the bearing members space the juxtaposed extremities of the rolls one from the other.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a supporting construction for roll toweling wherein the extremity of the roll opposite that in which the aforesaid bearing member is located is provided with a recess therein adapted to cooperate, in a manner to be described in greater detail below, with other portions of the roll supporting construction. Thus, when the opposite ex- 3,029,035 Patented Apr. 10, 1962 tremities of rolls of towels are disposed in superimposed relationship, the aforesaid bearing member is neatly re ceived within the recess in the end of a juxtaposed roll and no space is lost within the shipping carton. Furthermore, the rolls of toweling can have their extremities disposed in abutting relationship which provides a more compact method of packing the rolls.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawing which is for the purpose of illustration only and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a dispenser for roll paper to-weling in which the roll supporting construction of my invention is incorporated;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal, enlarged, sectional view taken on the broken line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of a roll of paper toweling manufactured in accordance with the teachings of my invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified configuration of the extremity of a roll adapted to be utilized in conjunction with and constituting a part of the roll supporting construction of my invention;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing another modified roll end construction;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view showing the manner in which the rolls can be stacked in superimposed relationship with each other in a shipping carton; and

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a portion of the roll supporting construction.

Referring to the drawing and, more particularly, to FIGS. 1-3 thereof, I show a paper towel dispenser 10 which includes a housing 12 constituted by a lower section 14 having a cover 16 associated therewith. Side wall members 18 and 20 are incorporated in the lower section 14 of the housing 12, the side wall member 18 being constituted by a plate 22 fastened to an adjacent wall of the lower section 14 and the side wall member 2%? being actually constituted by the side wall of said lower section.

Operatively associated with the dispenser it) is a dispensing mechanism 24 which constitutes no part of the present invention and, therefore, will not be described in detail. Dispensing mechanisms adapted to be utilized in conjunction with the dispenser 10 are adequately described in my previously issued Patent No. 2,711,860.

Mounted in the dispenser 10 is a roll 26 of paper toweling, said roll including a core 28 formed of paperboard or similar material and having a continuous bore or opening 3! therethrough. Although I show a core 28 extending completely through the roll 26 and having a bore extending completely therethrough, it is not intended to limit the construction to the specific form of core shown since it is conceivable that a multi-part core member or a core member having bores or openings merely in its opposite extremities might be utilized with equal convenience.

Mounted in the right-hand extremity of the core 28, as seen in FIG. 2 of the drawing, is a bearing member 32 of the character disclosed in detail in my previouslyissued Patent No. 2,711,860, said bearing member being adapted to co-operate with a bearing construction constituted by a cylindrical bearing 34 and an encompassing U-shaped bearing 36, also shown in greater detail in the home diately above mentioned patent.

The opposite extremity of the roll '26 of material is cut away to provide a continuous circular recess 40 which, as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing, encompasses the adjacent extremity of the core 28. The circular'recess 40 may be formed in the extremity of the roll 26 after the roll has been wound about the core 28.by the use of an appropriate cutting tool, such as a countersink or the like, or the recess 40 may beformed during the winding of the 3 roll 26 about the core 28 by the cutting of the edge of the paper which is wound closest to the core 28 of the roll 26.

Mounted upon the side wall member 20 is an elongated supporting member 44, said supporting member being formed from inherently resilient sheet metal and having its lower extremity fastened, as by means of spot welding, to the interior side of the side wall member 20, as best shown at 46. The supporting member 44 incorporates an elongated arm 48 which, because of the inherent resilience of the sheet metal from which it is formed, is biased outwardly in a direction away from the interior surface of the side wall member 20 and toward the contiguous extremity of the roll 26. Formed integrally upon the upper extremity of the arm 48 is a first, cylindrical bearing 50, said cylindrical bearing being receivable in the bore or opening 30 in the adjacent extremity of the core 28 and being encompassed by a second, circular bearing 52 which is spaced therefrom by a depression 54. The circular bearing 52 is disposed in the recess 40 and conforms to the shape of said recess while the contiguous extremity of the core 28 is located in the depression 54 defined by the adjacent walls of the first and second bearings 56 and 52.

It is, therefore, manifest that the 1eft-hand end of the roll 26, as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing, is supported by a roll supporting construction constituted by the supporting member 44 and the co-operating core and recess 28 and 46, respectively, in the roll 26. It is further obvious that multiple bearing support is attained since the first bearing 56 is received within the contiguous extremity of the core 28 while the second bearing 52 is received within the recess defined by the cut-out portion of the roll 26 itself and the exterior surface of the wall of the core 28. Furthermore, during the installation of the roll 26 in the housing 12, the arm 48 is readily urged to the left against the inherent resilient bias thereof to facilitate the location of the first and second bearings 50 and 52 in operative relationship with the core 28 and the recess 48', respectively.

Moreover, it is obvious that when the roll 26 has been used up to a point where the exterior side wall of the circular bearing 52 is visible, a service man can perceive said exterior side wall and determine that a relatively small amount of toweling remains on the roll. Thus, the exterior side wall of the circular bearing provides a visual indication and, if desired, can be colored an appropriate bright color to provide a visual signal which will apprise the service man of the near exhaustion of the roll.

When the service man perceives the near exhaustion of the roll 26, he removes the roll 26 and converts it to a stub roll 56, as best indicated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, by locating it in a depression 58 formed in the bottom section 14 of the housing 12. The service man then places a new roll 26 of toweling in the dispenser 10 and threads the toweling from the stub roll 56 and the new roll 26 through the dispensing mechanism to permit the user of the dispenser 10 to consume both the toweling from the stub roll 56 and the new roll 26. In this way, the exhaustion of the nearly exhausted roll before the return of the service man is eliminated and consumption of the toweling remaining upon the stub roll 56 is assured. Since the user receives a double supply of toweling, the consumption of toweling from the new roll 26 is reduced until the toweling on the stub roll 56 is exhausted.

Although I show the supporting member 44 as formed from resilient sheet metal and the bearings 50 and 52 formed integrally therewith by embossing the same thereupon, it is conceivable that other modes of manufacture and other materials may be utilized in substitution for those suggested and disclosed. Moreover, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and of the drawing, rolls such as the rolls 66 and 76 can be provided, the roll 66 having a concave recess 70 and the roll 76 having a frusto-conical recess 80. Of course, when the configuration of the recess in the extremity of the roll of material is changed, the configuration of the circular bearing equivalent to the circular bearing 52 is also altered in order to provide optimum support for the roll 26.

The manner in which the provision of the recess 40 or the substitute recesses 70 and 80 in the extremity of the roll, such as the roll 26, facilitates the stacking of superimposed rolls 26 a carton is graphically illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawing wherein two rolls are shown with one superimposed on the other. When so superimposed, the bearing member 32 on the upper extremity of the lower roll is neatly received within the juxtaposed recess 48 in the contiguous extremity of the upper roll. Thus, the provision of spacers for packing the rolls is eliminated and a tight pack which will prevent damage to the rolls is obtained.

I thus provide by my invention a supporting structure for a roll adapted to maintain it in operative relationship with a dispenser for the material on the roll and to facilitate the mounting of the roll within the associated dispenser; Also characteristic of the supporting construction of my invention is the fact that it provides increased support for the extremity of the roll and also facilitates the packaging of a plurality of rolls within a shipping carton.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a roll supporting construction for use in conjunction with a dispenser for material in roll form, the combination of: a dispenser housing having laterally spaced side walls; a first bearing member mounted on one of said side walls; a second bearing member mounted on the other of said side walls, said second bearing member incorporating a first bearing and a second bearing spaced from said first bearing; and a roll of material disposed within said housing, said roll incorporating a longitudinal bore having an elongated core therein which terminates at the ends of said roll, said material having a continuous recess formed therein at one end of said roll adjacent said core and said first bearing member being receivable in one extremity of said core while said second bearing member has said first bearing located in the other extremity of said core and said second bearing located in said recess to permit relative rotation between said roll and said first and second bearings.

2. In a roll supporting construction adapted for use in conjunction with a roll of material which incorporates an elongated core defining a longitudinal bore therein and which has a continuous bearing recess formed in said material at one end of said roll and encompassing said core, said recess being formed in said material adjacent said core, the combination of: a dispenser housing having laterally spaced side walls; a first bearing member supported on one of said side walls and receivable in one extremity of said core; and a second bearing member supported on the other of said side walls, said second hearing member having a first bearing receivable in the interior of said core at the other extremity of said roll and a second bearing spaced from said first bearing and receivable in said bearing recess, said roll being rotatable relative to said first and second bearing members.

3. A roll of material adapted to be mounted upon a. first bearing member and a second bearing member hav ing a first bearing constituted by a cylindrical boss and a second bearing constituted by a circular boss spaced from and encompassing said cylindrical boss, including an elongated core member defining a bore with its opposite extremities opening at the opposite extremities of said roll, said bore being adapted to receive said first bearing member at one extremity thereof and the first bearing of said second bearing member at the other extremity thereof, said roll being constituted by a continuous strip of material wound on said core and having a flat extremity right-angularly oriented with respect to the longitudinal extremity of said roll, said flat extremity having a bearing recess formed therein adjacent said other extremity of said core and encompassing said core and being adapted like to receive said second bearing to facilitate relative rotation between said roll and said first and second bearing members.

4. In an article of manufacture, the combination of: an elongated core defining a correspondingly elongated bore; and a roll of material in web form wrapped about said core and of the same length as said core, said roll of material having a substantially flat extremity right-angularly disposed wtih respect to the longitudinal axis of said roll and having a continuous, circular recess formed in said flat extremity and encompassing said core, said recess being located adjacent said core.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gately Dec. 25, 1906 Leitch Nov. 29, 1910 Marcalus Oct. 25, 1932 Nichols Nov. 3, 1936 Grondona July 31, 1945 Layton June 28, 1955 

